Fall Issue 2014

NOTES FROM THE CHAIRWOMAN

Beth Wild
The summer is almost over and that
means my FAVORITE time of year is
here!the start of the season! We get to
see the new players in action for the rst
time and watch the team take shape.
Were getting back out to the pubs with
our friends to watch matches, sing and
celebrate the club we love. Theres truly
nothing like the excitement and promise
a new season holds. Are you ready?!
With no pre-season US tour this year,
some of us had a relatively easy summer.
I dont know about you but I tackled a list
of long-standing projects and got a lot
done. I want to thank all of those who
have worked through the summer in
preparation for this new season. Weve
had techs working on the website and all
things electronic; the podcast crew
worked on sourcing a new way to record;
the newsletter sta" put together this
great newsletter. There are so many
people that make the membership
work!from databases to graphics to the
online application. And last but not least
theres the Chapter Heads of all the
regional clubs that have worked so hard
nding new members to grow our
numbers, while also working with our
current members to get them signed up
again.
I know many were disappointed with the
absence of Chelsea TV from the
International True Blue membership.
Though it was never resolved, the issue is
not over. I have been in contact with the
club multiple times a week to voice our
concern and dismay. Ive also been in
contact with the Chelsea Supporters Trust
so they can help us with the issue as well.
And other chapter heads from other
international clubs have also been voicing
their concerns. Why it happened, I dont
really know, but I feel strongly it was a
bad move and I will continue to work hard
to get it reinstated. If theres any
movement on that we will let you know.
The advent of Chelsea Fan Club and
Chelsea Fan Club + is also pretty
confusing, and they might not be for
everyone either. Check out the overview
and comparison of each of those
membership levels thats included
elsewhere in this newsletter. Which option
works best for you is a personal choice,
and I have a feeling that the features of
each membership might change over the
course of the season. Only time will tell. If
we hear or discover things about changes
in the membership packages, we will post
them on the website, email, Facebook and
Twitter.
I am also really excited to say the website
has been ported over to a new server and
now the fun can begin! The new website
is safe and secure, and that means that
theres more time to develop cool and
informative content and features. So
please check back often. Member packets
will also be in the mail soon. Im really
excited to get these out and hope you all
like them.
I have struggled the last few days about
whether or not to include this next part in
the newsletter, but in the end
extraordinary events call for extraordinary
measures. As some of you might know,
my best friends daughter was in a
horric car accident. She survived but the
road ahead will be very hard for her, as
she will need a lot of surgeries, therapy
and other things. It is still very early,
but as I type this things seem to be
going better than we could have hoped.
I want to thank all of you that sent
words of hope, care, love and healing
for both Megan and Bill. A fund has
been set up for Megans medical bills,
as they are going to be astronomical.
Some of you have donated already to
the fund, and for that I thank you from
the depths of my heart and soul. For
those of you that are just hearing about
this or havent had a chance to donate,
I hope youll consider going to http://
www.gofundme.com/ccyjls and giving
what you can!every little bit helps and
is greatly appreciated.
Now back to Chelsea enjoy the
season and the camaraderie, and
remember!Chelsea in America is what
you make it, so have fun!
CAREFREE
Beth
bluesletter team
A huge thanks to everyone who helps
make the Bluesletter possible!
Editor: Josh Hampton
Layout: Jamie Edwards
Graphics: Raciel Diaz
Chairwoman: Beth Wild
Notes from the
Chairwoman
Chelsea TV and Fan Club
Update
Membership Overview
CIA Summer Enclave
Reports
Player Pro!le: Diego Costa
Bridge Kids Coloring
Contest
Oklahoma Blues Scarf
PAGE 2
Many of you have been asking about
ChelseaTV access for this season (since it
is no longer being o"ered with True Blue
membership for international members)
and the di"erence between the new
Chelsea Fan Club and Chelsea Fan Club
Plus. After months of conversations with
the club, we nally have some clarity that
we wanted to share with our members:
Fan Club vs Fan Club Plus+
If you want ChelseaTV, you now have to
sign up for Chelsea Fan Club Plus at
5.99 a month which will basically get
you live ChelseaTV and the archive (which
will not feature full match replays). You
also get digital access to the Chelsea
magazine and match day programs, but
only if you use the iPhone or Google app.
This obviously represents a large price
increase compared to the past bundling
of ChelseaTV with True Blue membership,
which we are not pleased about. Once you
sign up to Fan Club Plus your payment is
recurring every month on the day you
signed up (you have to manually
unsubscribe to avoid getting
automatically charged for the next
month).
Chelsea Fan Club
The free alternative to Chelsea Fan Club
Plus is the new Chelsea Fan Club, which
does not give you access to any live
streams. Instead it will feature archived
ChelseaTV programming including
highlights of all matches, rst team and
youth. Other than that, we havent gotten
much detail on the content, though we
expect it to be targeted to more casual
fans. But it is free and it is on demand.
You can nd the link on the website.
We are very disappointed at these
developments. We know that many of
you spend your hard earned money to
follow the rst team and youth team
and now doing so via ChelseaTV will
cost you much more than it has in past
seasons. Weve expressed our
frustration with the club and will
continue to do so. If you would like to
o"er feedback directly to Chelsea
about the situation, we encourage you
to email fanclub@chelseafc.com.
We wish we had better news to report,
but we will not give up on this. If
things change we will let you know,
but its likely that nothing will change
this season.
Update on Chelsea TV, Fan Club, and Fan Club Plus+
So, why do I have to pay to be a
member?
Its a question we hear all the time, and
its understandable why people would
ask. We thought wed use a little space in
this newsletter to outline exactly why we
have dues and where they go

So dues are $10 per adult, $15 for adult
with a child, $25 for a family. Where does
that money go? Well, you might not know
it but we pay Chelsea to be a supporters
club. They give us no money. To that end
we have to pay for everything we do. That
$10-$25 goes toward paying the dues,
which for all of our clubs together (5
Platinum club and 1 gold) is $4,000. Then
there is the member packet we send out
to every member, which has a card,
coupons to help you recoup your $10
from sponsors, and a small member gift.
Of course, all of that costs money, from
postage to printing to envelopes to the
gift. We are also members of the Chelsea
Supporters Trust, and we pay the dues so
that all CIA members are also a$liated to
the Trust. Above and beyond that, we use
that money to run CIA, as well as to save
money to bring over past Chelsea players
to be with us on Summer Tours and
other events.
In return for being o$cial supporters
club, Chelsea sends us magazines,
programs and signed merchandise that
we make available to the individual local
chapters to do with as their members like,
be it a ra%e to raise money for a ag, or
to spur membership, or just for the heck
of it. Chelsea also makes sure we are able
to get tickets to matches for our
members who travel abroad, as well as
for Summer Tours.
We also try and o"er as many other
membership perks as we can:
! A quarterly newsletter, with info and
updates about CIA and all the chapters
! We have a great website with a bulletin
board o"ering extra features for
members
! Dedicated Facebook page, Twitter feed
and members-only Twitter feed
! As often as we can we pass along
coupons and deals to members via email
! Members-only section of the website
with free audio and graphic downloads
! A weekly Podcast to listen to or
participate in

Now I am sure I am missing some
things, and I wish we could do more
for members!and we are always
looking for ways to enhance
membership. But even so, I personally
think that is a lot for only $10 a year.
Heaven knows I can blow $10 so easy
these days. Thats 2 pints at the pub,
and to me we are worth much more
than that!
CIA NEEDS
VOLUNTEERS!
If you didnt know, CIA is a 100%
volunteer organization and we are
always looking for volunteers to help,
both on the local chapter level and
nationally. So what are you good at?
Writing? Web design? PR? Social
Media? Any time you can give is
always greatly appreciated. Weve had
a lot of our members step up in the
past and wed love to keep it up. If
youre interested in helping out, let
your chapter head know or get in
touch with Beth at
beth.wild@chelseainamerica.com.
Membership Overview: What Your Dues Mean to CIA
by Beth Wild
PAGE 3
I survived another CIA Summer
Conclave! Some of my favorite
memories:
! Having a hotel room that overlooked
the Bellagio so I could watch the
Fountain Displays in the comfort of an
air conditioned room.
! Walking around for an hour
unsuccessfully trying to get a table for
dinner, and ending up eating hotdogs
at Pinks with Dubes and Spy
QUALITY!!
! The tournament great fun (we have
some really talented players in our
group and we also have Cary),
winning the penalty shoot-out , the
cross from Daniel that led to that
goal (you had to be there), and Neil
from NJ using phone books as shin
guards.
! Reserving a booth at the
Cosmopolitan Book and Stage Bar for
the England v Italy match and actually
worrying that we wouldnt drink
enough to get to the $350.00 bar tab
required to secure the reservation
what was I thinking?
! Seeing Beth dressed up for a night
on the town aye, aye, aye, carumba!
! Seeing Spy dressed up for a night on
the town T-shirt, shorts, sandals
and the hat!
! Worst memory: (apart from the
embarrassment of having to pick Danny
o" the bar oor every night ) having
to leave. I cannot wait for next year!
Re!ections of Vegas
by Chris Bowley
Player Pro"le: Diego Costa
by Taylor Anderson
Diego Costa was signed
from Spanish champions
Atletico de Madrid for a
reported fee of 32 million.
Costa could nally be the
center forward the club has
needed since the departure
of Didier Drogba following
the 2011/2012 Champions
League winning season.
Despite his reputation as
sometimes stirring up
unnecessary trouble, the
Brazil-born Spanish forward
has a reputation as an
excellent nisher!and his
43 goals in 94 appearances
for Atletico seem to conrm
that reputation. He is a big,
physical player who can run at
opponents and cause havoc
among defenses, and is adept at scoring
with both feet.
Costa was signed to his rst professional
contract by S.C Braga in Portugal, where
he was noticed by Atleticos scouts. He
spent time on loan in
Portugal and in the Spanish
lower leagues before securing
a starting spot under Diego
Simeone at Atletico, who has
claimed the sky is the limit
for Costa.
Costa made the decision in
March of 2014 to represent
Spain rather than his native
Brazil, and was loudly booed
when making his World Cup
debut with La Roja. He
credited Spanish football as
making him a better player.
He will have competition from
a fellow Spanish striker
Fernando Torres (himself a
former Atletico legend),
although most supporters
seem to think Costa will be the
de facto #9 in the side, with
Torres playing a bench role.
Last seasons goal return was great, but
Chelsea fans will hope the addition of
Costa will give us just what we need to
take home the title!and maybe more!
Age: 25
Origin: Lagarto, Brazil
Position: Striker
Hey, lil Blues!color the Stamford the
Lion coloring sheet on the last page of
this newsletter and show o" your
coloring skills! For more Chelsea fun
for kids like puzzles, player cards and
other games, visit the BridgeKids
section of ChelseaFC.com.
Have your parents post a pic of your
nal artwork to the CIA Facebook page,
the CIA Twitter or email it to
Josh.Hampton@ChelseaInAmerica.com.
Well feature a few in the next
newsletter!
The Oklahoma Blues
Announce New Scarf!
The Oklahoma Blues will be
representing their chapter with new
custom scarves this season. The
scarves are priced at $15 ($18
shipped). If youd like one, get in
touch with Colin Mall at
oklahomacityblues@gmail.com.
PAGE 4
Ok, so everyone knows the rule is what
happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but
Im going to break that rule and share
with you my Vegas Experience hanging
out with Chelsea in America!
The long ight over from London to Las
Vegas via Dallas wasnt so bad as I shared
it with Neil Barnett aka Spy, the voice of
Stamford Bridge. The welcome Spy and I
got from Beth at the Vegas airport set the
tone for the whole trip!there was no
corporate handshake to say hello but
instead a great big hug which simply said
welcome to the family.
The short journey from the airport to the
Cosmopolitan Hotel was lled with Beth
giving me a run down of the CIA
members already at the hotel and those
that were coming later. Beth and Spy told
me stories about past CIA tours and
especially those that included former
Chelsea players.I had done some
homework beforecoming out to Vegas,
speaking with past CIA guests Frank
Sinclair and Paul Cannoville about their
time out here.knew I was going to have a
good time but now with the stories from
Beth and Spy!along with the
conrmation from Frank and Canners!It
was clear I was going to have a f***ing
great time!
The passion and enthusiasm of which
Beth spoke about Chelsea Football Club,
Chelsea In America and the four days
ahead was brilliant. Everything about her
is 'blue, apart from the suspect nail
polish, which I thought was more purple
than blue!
The rst member of CIA I met was
'Wobbley' who greeted me at the bar with
a man hug and drink. It happened to be
the start of a lovely bromance between
the two of us but that's another story
altogether!
Then I met the other CIA members that
were already at the hotel!four young
guys who I will refer to as the lads: Jake,
Woody, Danny and fellow Brit (now a Cali
resident) Daniel.
I had been to Las Vegas a few times prior
to this trip and spent it with either my
family or my closest friends. Needless to
say the night I had out with 'the lads' is
up there as one of my best nights out in
Las Vegas. for you all, that part of my CIA
Vegas tour I cannot reveal! All I can say is
that no tigers were harmed or stolen and
no one was arrested!but other than that,
use your imagination!
The good thing about my time with the
CIA was that we were all drinking at the
bar like mates that were catching up as
opposed to football fans around a
football player. The rst day ended with
us all drinking in the hotel bar until about
5am.
Day 2 was all about the World Cup. With
Englands opening game against Italy
showing in one of our hotel bars, it was
the focal point of the CIA day. met a few
new members before kick o".was Mitch
and his wife Kelly, Andreas and Crystal,
Jason and Kristine, David and Robin, Cary
and LeeAnn, Rachel, and Su Jin.bar was
packed but we had our corner. We
marked our territory by pinning up our
Chelsea and England ags and in the
process most probably damaging the
million-dollar hotel dcor!
God Save the Queen was belted out from
everyone in the bar apart from maybe the
3 Italians that were brave enough to be in
there. Never been a fan of Friday the
13th as it always comes with bad luck and
nightmares. It was a horror night for
every England fan as we lost to the
Italians 2-1.
That evening I forgot about the football
and had a night out with the lads. We
went to the popular Vegas club called
Marque that happened to be in our hotel
and what a night we had. We drank and
partied like weve all been mates for
years, denitely didnt feel like we had
only met 48 hours ago.
A day by the pool and chilling out was
followed by an Evening with Dubes
hosted by Spy, which was held in Carys
and LeeAnns luxury suite. The suite
overlooked the neighboring Belaggio
Hotel and you could clearly see the
amazing water display from their
balcony. What a view! Spy started o"
with a good lighthearted story, then we
had an auction, debate and, of course,
questions from the CIA for me. I
answered the questions very honestly
even if it spoilt any images that anyone
had of their favourite players. Nobody
left the room crying so all was ok.
At the end of question time Wobbley
said some very kind words to me on
behalf of the group. It was very touching
to hear them and once again made me
feel part of this terric group of people.
The next day was the CIA football 5-a-
side game and everything was so well
organized by Mitch. We had the local
indoor venue all to ourselves, and each
team had their own coloured t-shirts.
Mitch had covered everything down to
the nest detail. The special guest
referee was none other than myself! I
was strict but fair and had to use my
strong refereeing ability to split up the
ongoing pitch battle between Beth and
Rachel.
There was some talent on show but the
stand out players of the day were
Crystal, Andreas and fellow Englishman
Daniel. Goal of the day was scored by
"Dubes" in Vegas by Michael Duberry
Chelsea Centerback 1993-99, CIA Guest for Summer Vegas Enclave
PAGE 5
Wobbley with a bullet far post header. I
got to play two games and loved every
minute of it. We ended the day with a
trophy presentation and a post-match
meal at a famous burger chain!and the
food was as tough an opponent as I have
ever faced!
Cary and LeeAnn invited me out for
dinner on my penultimate night in Vegas.
We went to Gordon Ramseys new
restaurant and had such a lovely
night!even though Cary had more of a
liquid meal than LeeAnn and me. Getting
to know this lovely couple was great and,
in turn, opening up and letting them see
a di"erent side of me was really nice too.
On the last night, I had a few drinks in
the bar with other members of CIA
and said a few long goodbyes before
bed. Cary and LeeAnn shared a taxi to
airport with me the next day and we
said our own goodbye in the departure
lounge.
Vegas with Chelsea In America was an
unbelievable experience and I would
do it all over again. Thank you to every
member for my making my experience
so special!
Continued from Page 4